This invention relates to components for roof assemblies. More particularly, but not exclusively, the invention relates to components for roof assemblies for conservatories and greenhouses.
The construction of conservatories requires the beams and rafters to be of sufficient strength but also to be sufficiently lightweight. Many designs of profiles for conservatories require considerable amounts of material to provide the required strength and rigidity. This creates cost and weight disadvantages.
In addition, many known conservatories require a large number of components in order to be able to construct the configurations and sizes of conservatories that may be desired.
According to one aspect of this invention there is provided a glazing bar comprising a main support member and a cap engaging member on an edge region of the main support member, the cap engaging member comprising a detent portion extending from said edge region towards an opposite edge region of the main support member to engage a selected one of a plurality of corresponding detents on a cap to be engaged by the cap engaging member.
Preferably, the cap engaging member includes two of said detent portions, each extending on opposite sides of the main support member toward said opposite edge thereof.
The main support member may be formed from two elements secured together wherein the cap engaging member is in the form of folded back portions at the edge region of each element.
A second cap engaging member may extend outwardly from said opposite edge region of the main support member and may comprise an upstanding member extending toward the first cap engaging member. In one embodiment the second cap engaging member may further include a curved portion extending inwardly from the upstanding member. The curved portion may be adapted to engage a part of a second cap, whereby the curved portion is so curved such that said part of the second cap extends in use substantially tangentially to the curved portion.
The glazing bar is preferably formed of a steel material, or other suitable material, for example aluminium.
Preferably, the second cap engaging member extends from the support member in substantially opposite directions, and the cap engaging member comprises two of said upstanding members and a curved portion on each upstanding member.
The second cap engaging member may include at least one outwardly extending strip, preferably first and second outwardly extending strips, the or each strip extending from the main support member, and desirably, in the case of first and second outwardly extending strips, in opposite directions to each other. The or each of said outwardly extending strips preferably includes a raised portion so shaped that a fastening member, for example a bolt, may extend through said raised portion such that a part of the fastening member, for example a head of the bolt, engages the raised portion, generally or approximately tangentially therewith.
Preferably, the, or each, detent portion on the first cap engaging member is adapted to co-operate with a selected detent formation on said first cap, whereby the position of the first cap on the glazing bar may be adjusted. Each of said detent formations may be provided with a plurality of inwardly extending triangular detents arranged one after the other on said first cap. Preferably, the respective triangular detents closest to the further cap have a width which is less than the width of succeeding triangular formations further away from said further cap. Preferably, each detent formation include three of said triangular detents.
According to another aspect of this invention there is provided a beam member for a roof arrangement, the beam member comprising a main support member and a rafter support member extending outwardly from the main support member, wherein securing means is provided on the rafter support member at an edge region of the rafter support member, the securing means comprising upstanding means extending from the rafter support member and adapted to cooperate with a part of a securing member of a rafter assembly.
In a first embodiment, the upstanding means may comprise a first upstanding member extending from the rafter support member and a second member extending from the first member back toward the rafter support member.
In this embodiment the second member extends inwardly of the rafter support member. The upstanding means may define a recess to receive a cooperating part of a securing member of a rafter assembly, the recess allowing said cooperating part to move to accommodate a desired position of the rafter assembly.
The beam member is preferably formed of a steel material or other suitable material for example aluminium.
The securing means preferably includes pivot receiving means which may comprise a curved member, for receiving a pivot on the securing member, whereby the securing means allows the rafter to pivot to said desired position about the pivot receiving means.
Preferably, the securing means includes a stop member to prevent movement of the co-operating part therebeyond. The securing means may include a holding region, whereby the co-operating part of the rafter is held between the recess and the holding portion.
Preferably, the rafter support member extends outwardly in opposite directions from the main support member. Each of said rafter support members may comprise securing means as described above.
The, or each, rafter support member as described above may be provided along one edge region of the main support member. A further rafter support member may be provided along the opposite edge region of the main support member. The further rafter support member may comprise a securing means having the features as described above. In the preferred embodiment, the second rafter support member may extend on opposite sides of said main support member, and each may comprise a securing means at the free edge region on each side. Each securing means may be as described above. Preferably, the, or each securing means is adapted to engage on an outward surface thereof of the holding member for a cap to be secured to the beam member.
In a second embodiment, the upstanding means comprises a step extending outwardly of the rafter support member and adapted to cooperate with a detent on a securing member of a rafter assembly. Preferably the upstanding means comprises a first upstanding member extending from the rafter support member and a second member extending from the first member back toward the rafter support member outwardly of the rafter support member to provide said step.
The rafter support member may comprise means for holding a cap engaging member. Preferably the rafter support member is shaped to provide a re-entrant aperture to hold a cap engaging member. Preferably two of said rafter support members are provided on opposite sides of the main support member and, together, the rafter support members may be so shaped to define the aperture.
According to another aspect of this invention there is provided a roof assembly comprising a beam member as described above and a rafter assembly, wherein the rafter assembly comprises a rafter and a securing member on the rafter to secure the rafter assembly to the beam member, the securing member including a co-operating part which can cooperate with the securing means on the beam member to secure the rafter assembly to the beam member.
In one embodiment, the co-operating part on the securing member of the rafter assembly can be received in the recess in the securing means of the first embodiment to secure the rafter assembly to the beam member. The cooperating part may be in the form of a limb member having one end region receivable in the pivot receiving means, and may also include another end region which can engage the stop member, thereby being prevented from moving beyond it.
The rafter assembly may further include a glazing bar, which may be as described above, the glazing bar having capping means on one end thereof. The capping means may comprise a first capping member having the securing member thereon. The first capping member may also include a holding means for holding a fastening member to fasten the first capping member to the glazing bar.
The holding means may comprise a channel member defining a channel having an open side and inwardly extending flange members extending from opposite side walls of the channel member part way across the open side, whereby the channel can receive the head of a bolt.
The first capping member may further include adjustment means adapted to cooperate with second adjustment means on the second capping member.
The first and second adjustment means may cooperate with each other to adjust the height of the capping means for different heights of the glazing bar.
Preferably the first adjustment means comprises a planar member having a plurality of outwardly extending detents each extending lengthwise along at least one side, and preferably both sides. The second adjustment means may comprise a pair of generally parallel planar members, at least one of which, and preferably each planar member, has a plurality of inwardly extending detents to engage and cooperate with the outwardly extending detents on the first adjustment means.
The second capping member also includes a curved portion to engage the glazing bar wherein the curved portion defines an arc whereby the radius of said arc extends generally from the pivot on the securing member of the first capping member.
In another embodiment, the rafter assembly includes clip holding means to secure thereto a clip for holding the rafter. The clip holding means may comprise a securing formation to cooperate with the step of the second embodiment to secure the clip holding means to the upstanding means.
The clip holding means may comprise a channel member defining a channel having an open side and a pair of flanges extending inwardly from opposite side walls of the channel member part way across said open side.
Preferably, the clip holding means includes a stop member to engage the rafter support member to prevent or inhibit movement of the clip holding member.
According to another aspect of this invention there is provided a ridge end member for a hipped roof arrangement, the ridge end member comprising a plurality of segments extending radially outwardly from a hub member, and each segment comprising an elongate mounting member on an edge thereof opposite the hub member to which a plurality of glazing bars can be mounted.
The ridge end member is advantageously formed of a suitable material which can be formed into shape and has sufficient strength, for example aluminium, a moulded plastics material, such as a mineral filled nylon, or a cast metal, such as zinc alloy or aluminium alloy.
Preferably, each mounting member is attached to its respective segment by a length of material having a thickness which is less than the thickness of the respective mounting member.
The ridge end member may further include a plurality of sleeves, wherein at least a respective one of said sleeves is slidable over a respective mounting member. Preferably, the mounting members are of a substantially circular cross-section, and the sleeves have a cross-section corresponding to the mounting members. Preferably, each of the mounting members is pivotable about its principal axis on the respective mounting member. The sleeves may be formed of a suitable material which can be formed into shape and has sufficient strength for example a material from which the ridge end member can be formed.
Each of the sleeves may comprise a formation to which a glazing bar may be secured. Preferably, the formation comprises a groove formed in the sleeve. Preferably, the groove has a generally T-shaped configuration.
The hub member may be provided to connect the ridge end to a ridge part of the roof. The hub member may be of a T-shaped configuration which may have first and second elongate slots on either arm of the T, and a recess may be defined in the body of the T. Preferably, at the end of the T, a further elongate slot may be provided.
A connecting device may be provided to connect the ridge end member to said part of the roof arrangement. Preferably, the connecting device comprises a first connecting projection receivable in the said recess, and a second connecting projection attachable to said part of the roof. Preferably, an attachment member, which may comprise a plate is provided between the first and second connecting projections. The attachment member may be provided with apertures through which fastening devices, for example screws or bolts, may be inserted to be received in the first and second slots. The first connecting projection may be provided with a bore to be arranged in register with the third slot and connected thereto using suitable fastening means, for example a bolt. The connecting device may be formed of a suitable material which can be formed into shape and is of sufficient strength, for example, a material from which the ridge end member can be formed.
The connecting device may be provided with indicia to represent the angle to the horizontal at which the glazing bars can extend therefrom. The indicia are preferably in the form of graduations provided on the attachment member and may be so arranged that alignment of the top of the hub member with a selected one of said graduations indicates the angle at which the glazing bars should extend from the ridge end member.
According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a wing member for a valley rafter assembly, the wing member comprising first and second elements secured together, wherein each of the first and second elements comprises a portion of a mounting formation, and the first and second elements being arranged such that the mounting portions together form the mounting formation to which a glazing bar can be mounted.
Preferably, each of the first and second elements is in the form of an elongate strip which are desirably secured together lengthwise of each other in face-to-face contact along a part of the width of each strip.
The mounting formation may be in the form of an elongate open-topped channel, which may receive therein a part of a fastening means, for example a head of a bolt, to fasten the glazing bar to the wing member.
In a preferred embodiment, each of the first and second elements further includes a portion of a pivot receiving formation, such that the pivot receiving portions together form the pivot receiving formation to receive a pivot member. Thus, in this embodiment, the wing member can pivot about the pivot member.
The wing member may further include an upstanding portion which is preferably formed from one of the first and second elements. The upstanding portion is preferably configured to cooperate with a capping. Preferably, the upstanding portion includes a capping engaging region formed from a folded section of the upstanding portion. Preferably, the folded section includes a first folded member in which the upstanding portion is folded back upon itself, and may further include a second folded member in which the first folded member is folded back upon itself, whereby the second folded member is arranged between the upstanding portion and the first folded member.
According to another aspect of this invention there is provided a valley rafter assembly comprising first and second wing members, at least one of said wing members being as described above.
Preferably, both of the first and second wing members are as described above. The first and second wing members may be arranged in mirror image relationship.
The first and second wing members are preferably movable relative to each other and the assembly may include a pivot to pivotally connect the first and second wing members together. The assembly may include a capping member to be secured to the first and second wing members.
According to another aspect of this invention, there is provided a bracket arrangement for connecting a first rafter assembly to a second rafter assembly, the bracket arrangement comprising a first bracket mountable on the first rafter assembly and a second bracket mountable on the second rafter assembly, and the arrangement further including securing means for securing the first bracket to the second bracket, wherein the first bracket comprises a first main portion and first means for holding the securing means in adjustable relationship relative to the first main portion, and the second bracket comprises a second main portion and second means for holding the securing means in adjustable relationship relative to the second main portion.
Preferably, the first holding means comprises a channel member defining an open-topped channel for receiving a part of the securing means therein. Preferably, the channel is elongate and the securing means is movable lengthwise of the channel. The first holding means may be pivotally attached to the first main portion and may be so attached lengthwise of the first main portion. The holding means may be pivotally attached to the first main portion by an elongate pivot pin.
The first main portion may have a generally L-shaped profile, and the holding means may be mountable on the first main portion at the lower limb of the L.
The second holding means may comprise an elongate projection extending from the second main portion and defining at the free end thereof a receiving member to receive a part of the securing means. Preferably, said part of the securing means is movable within the receiving member to adjust the position of the second rafter relative to the first rafter.
Preferably, the second main portion comprises a pair of rafter engaging members connected together by said elongate projection, whereby the rafter engaging members can be arranged one on either side of the rafter.
The receiving member may have an annular configuration and the projection may include an elongate member extending from each of the rafter engaging members to the receiving member.
The securing means may be in the form of a bolt. The head of the bolt may be received in the channel of the channel member and the shank of the bolt may be received by the receiving member to be secured thereto by a nut.
Each of the first and second brackets is preferably fastened to the respective first and second rafter assemblies by fastening means which may be in the form of nuts and bolts. Each of the main portions of the first and second brackets may define an aperture through which the fastening means can extend. The apertures may be in the form of slots.